Bryans Battery

About the Historical Bryan's Battery

Bryan's Battery [also called Lewisburg (W. Va.) Artillery] was organized during the summer of 1862. It was organized in Greenbrier and Monroe Counties of what was then Virginia, and now is West Virginia. It served with the Army of Western Virginia and in December contained 4 officers and 116 men. Later the unit was assigned to McCausland's Brigade, Department of Western Virginia and East Tennessee. It sustained 5 casualties in the fight at Cloyd's Mountain, and in December, 1864, attached to J.F. King's Battalion of Artillery, served with Early in the Shenandoah Valley. The battery disbanded during the spring of 1865. Captain Thomas A. Bryan was in command.

Indirect Fire in Warfare

One interesting fact about Bryans Battery is that Milton Humphries, a member of Bryans Battery first developed the concept of indirect fire by using Bryans Battery guns.

Bryans Battery Reenactment Group

Today's Reenactment Organization which depicts the original Bryans Battery is "Bryans Battery, Inc, a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization based in Hillsboro, West Virginia. We are affiliated with the "Valley Division" an organization that guides numerous Civil War Reenactment Units and with the National Civil War Artilery Association, an organization that trains and certifies Civil War Reenactment Cannoneers

The Battery has two reproduction fully operational Civil War Cannons, a 3/4 scale 3 inch Ordinance Rifle which is named "Maggie" after a 3 inch Ordinance Rifle with the same name that was part of the original Bryans Battery and a Full Scale 3 inch Ordinance Rifle named "Katie" which was also named for an actual 3 inch rifle in the historical Bryans Battery.

In addition to organizing and running two Civil War Reenactments in West Virginia - The Battle of Dry Creekheld at the Greenbrier State Forrest near White Sulphur Springs, WV on the 3rd weekend in August each year and the Battle of Droop Mountain held at the Droop Mt. Battlefield State Park near Hillsboro, WV the 2nd weekend each October.

Bryans Battery also participates in about 6 to 8 other Civil War Reenactments each Year. Although we usually depict the historical Bryans Battery, a Confederate Unit, we also depict an historical Union Artilliary Unit, Keepers Battery.

We are always looking for volunteers to be trained and certified to serve on our cannons. Contact Tim Walker at 304-653-4737 if you are interested in being part of Bryans Battery.